四、地方教会的建立：传福音是为神得着建造教会的材料
二十一节说，“在祂里面，全房联结一起，长成在主里的圣殿。” 在基督这房角石里面，全房，包括犹太和外邦信徒，联结一起，长成在主里的圣殿。这房是活的，所以是在长大，长成圣殿。教会这神的家真实的建造，乃是藉着信徒生命的长大。今天教会在长大，但不是在我们天然的生命里长大，乃是在神圣的生命、属灵的生命里长大。“全房”一辞是指宇宙教会说的。宇宙的建造始终在长大。在马太十六章，主耶稣豫言祂要建造祂的教会。马太十六章十八节的建造，就是以弗所二章二十一节的建造。虽然这建造长得缓慢，不容易看出来，但无论如何这长大仍在进行着。
二十二节说，“你们也在祂里面同被建造，成为神在灵里的居所。”这里的“你们”，是指地方上的圣徒。“也”指明，二十一节的建造是宇宙的，本节的建造是地方的。保罗在本节是说，地方上的圣徒，就是在以弗所的圣徒，在基督里同被建造，成为神的居所。全房渐渐长大，这是指宇宙的一面。信徒在一个地方同被建造，这是地方的一面。
二十二节说，我们同被建造，成为神在灵里的居所。这里的灵，是指信徒有神的圣灵内住之人的灵。神的灵是居住者，不是居所；居所是信徒的灵。神的灵住在我们的灵里，所以，神的居所是在我们的灵里。
二十一节说圣殿是在主里，二十二节说神的居所是在灵里。这指明为着神的居所，主与我们的灵是一，在我们的灵里，实际上就是在主里；在主里也就是在灵里。与主联合的，便是与主成为一灵。我们不可能将我们的灵和主分开。我们的灵就是教会，神的居所，建造的所在。建造不是在我们的魂里；建造完全是在我们灵里的事。
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Four Commissions to Be Filled Through Gospel Preaching (4)
4. Establishing the Local Church: Preaching the Gospel to Gain Materials for the Church Building-up – Eph. 2:21-22
Eph. 2:21 says, “In whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord.” Here we see that in Christ, the cornerstone, the whole building – which includes both Jewish and Gentile believers – is being joined together and growing into a holy temple in the Lord. This building is living, so it is growing and becoming a holy temple. The true building of the church, God’s house, is through the growth of the believers’ life. Today, the church is growing, but it is not growing in our natural life; rather, it is growing in the divine, spiritual life. The term “the whole building” refers to the universal church. The universal building is continually growing. In Matthew 16, the Lord Jesus prophesied that He would build His church. The building in Matthew 16:18 is the same as the building mentioned in Ephesians 2:21. Although this building grows slowly and is not easily seen, the growth is nevertheless taking place.
Verse 22 says, “In whom you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the spirit.” The word “you” here refers to the local saints. The word “also” indicates that while verse 21 speaks of the universal building, this verse refers to the local building. Paul is saying that the local saints, specifically the saints in Ephesus, are being built together in Christ to become the dwelling place of God. Therefore, in these verses, Paul’s words cover both the universal and local aspects of the church. The phrase “all the building” growing refers to the universal aspect, while the local saints being built together refers to the local aspect.
Verse 22 says that we are being built together to become a dwelling place of God in spirit. The “spirit” here refers to the believers’ human spirit, where the Holy Spirit dwells. The Spirit of God is the indweller, not the dwelling place; the dwelling place is the believers’ spirit. Since God’s Spirit dwells in our spirit, God’s dwelling place is in our spirit.
Verse 21 says that the holy temple is “in the Lord,” while verse 22 says that God’s dwelling place is “in spirit.” This indicates that for God’s dwelling place, the Lord and our spirit are one. To be in our spirit is to be in the Lord, and to be in the Lord is to be in the spirit. He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him. We cannot separate our spirit from the Lord. Therefore, our spirit is the church, the dwelling place of God, and the place of His building. This building does not take place in our mind, emotion, or heart, nor is it in our soul; the building is entirely in our spirit.